Kela benefits for young people
Kela benefits help you cope financially as you set out to live on your own or otherwise become independent. For example, you can get benefits when you rent an apartment, start new studies or take on the responsibility of paying your own bills. This page provides a brief overview of benefits that young people may need.
On this page
When can you get Kela benefits?
Kela benefits are available in different life situations. Read more about each benefit on the specific pages about that benefit on the kela.fi website.
Our online calculators can also be helpful. You can use the calculators to find out if you can get a benefit and estimate the amount of the benefit.
The easiest way to apply for a benefit is to use OmaKela. The OmaKela e-service is available in Finnish and Swedish. Remember that you will need supporting documents for most applications, for example, a medical certificate or the lease agreement for your apartment. Make sure that you have these supporting documents before you submit your application. Photograph the supporting documents and send the photos with your application. You can also apply for benefits by using a form that you fill in and post to Kela.
If you are finding Kela benefits hard to understand or if you have questions, please call our customer service. We are happy to help.
Moving to your own place
You can receive general housing allowance for housing costs, such as rent. General housing allowance may be available if your income is low and you do not qualify for student financial aid. If you move into a home that you share with your partner, you should both apply for housing allowance together.
Students can get help with housing costs in the form of a housing supplement for students. If you are not yet paid student financial aid, first apply for financial aid and after that for the housing supplement.
The housing supplement will only be available for months of active study. The income of your partner or parents does not affect the amount of the housing supplement.
First use the general housing allowance or student financial aid calculator to see if you qualify and how much you can get. The student financial aid calculator is available only in Finnish and Swedish.
Apply for help with housing costs
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
OmaKela is only available in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot use OmaKela, use the form Application - General housing allowance AT 1e (pdf) to apply for this benefit. Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Learn how to apply for student financial aid and the housing supplement for students.
Assistance with a rental security deposit and moving costs
If your income is very low, you can receive social assistance for a rental security deposit or moving costs.
You can receive social assistance for moving costs in, for example, the following situations:
You need to move to another city or town because you have got a job there or have been admitted to a degree-oriented study programme there.
- You are moving to more affordable housing.
- You need to move due to health reasons.
- You cannot get social assistance if you are moving for your own convenience or if you are moving out of your parents’ home for no particular reason.
First, use the online calculator to check if you can get social assistance and to estimate the amount of the social assistance.
Apply for social assistance
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
OmaKela is only available in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot use OmaKela, use the form Application - Social Assistance TO 1e (pdf) to apply for this benefit. Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Student life
As a full-time student, you can get financial aid for students, which includes a study grant, a government guarantee for a student loan and a housing supplement for students. You must apply for the student loan at a bank, and Kela will act as guarantor for the loan.
Read more about student financial aid for students in upper secondary education.
Read more about student financial aid for students in higher education.
If you complete your degree within the specified target time, Kela can pay back part of your student loan. This is called student loan compensation.
Use our online calculator to estimate the amount of study grant and study loan available to you. The calculator is available in Finnish and Swedish.
Apply for financial aid
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
There are also paper forms you can use to apply for student benefits. Fill in the form and send it together with any supporting documents to us at Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Higher education students must pay a healthcare fee to Kela at the beginning of each term. You must pay the fee even if you do not use student healthcare services.
Kela does not send an invoice for the payment, but you will receive payment instructions before the due date, either in OmaKela or as a letter.
Higher education students receive a meal subsidy in student restaurants. You do not have to apply for the meal subsidy: as a student you get an automatically reduced price.
Students in upper secondary education can receive school transport subsidy. You can get school transport subsidy if you have a long commute to school.
Use our online calculator (in Finnish) to check if you can get school transport subsidy and to estimate the amount of the subsidy.
Pregnancy allowance
You can receive pregnancy allowance and student financial aid at the same time if you are a full-time student. Receiving student financial aid does not prevent the granting of pregnancy allowance or affect the amount of pregnancy allowance.
However, pregnancy allowance is counted as income that is taken into account in the income limit for financial aid for students.
Parental allowance
You can get parental allowance and student financial aid at the same time, as long as you are able to take care of your child while studying. Receiving student financial aid does not prevent the granting of parental allowance or affect the amount of the parental allowance. However, parental allowance is counted as income that is taken into account in the income limit for financial aid for students.
When you take care of a child and study at the same time, you do not have to notify Kela about starting your studies. Keep in mind that you must make satisfactory progress with your studies in order to get financial aid for students.
If you study full-time, i.e. you do not care for your child at the same time as you are studying, you should notify Kela via OmaKela that you are starting your studies. This will ensure that you are paid the correct amount of parental allowance, and that you will not need to pay any of it back.
Child home care allowance and private day care allowance
Financial aid for students does not affect child home care allowance or private day care allowance. However, these two benefits are income that is taken into account in the income limit for financial aid for students.
Rehabilitation allowance for young persons
Rehabilitation allowance for young persons and student financial aid cannot be paid for the same period of time. This means that the housing supplement for students is also not available if you are paid rehabilitation allowance for young persons.
If you are being paid rehabilitation allowance for young persons, please send a message in OmaKela to tell Kela that you are about to start your studies. You can also tell Kela about it by writing down the necessary information in your own words and sending it to Kela by post or by calling Kela’s customer service number for rehabilitation matters 020 634 2650.
Sickness allowance
If you become ill and cannot study, you can take a sick leave. During that time, you can get sickness allowance. Even if you are paid sickness allowance, you can make progress in your studies at a rate of about three credits per month during your sick leave if you want to.
Sickness allowance and financial aid for students cannot be paid for the same period of time. This means that you cannot be paid the student housing supplement either when you are on sick leave. Kela will stop paying you financial aid automatically, so you do not have to ask to have the payments stopped. If you were being paid the student housing supplement, you can apply to be paid general housing allowance instead of the housing supplement for the duration of your sick leave.
Sickness allowance can be paid for about a year at most. If your illness is prolonged, Kela will offer you rehabilitation options.
When you return to studying full-time, please send a message about this in OmaKela or call our customer service number 020 634 2550. If we have stopped paying you student financial aid completely, you must file a new application for financial aid and the housing supplement.
General social security benefit
In certain circumstances, you may get general social security benefit (yleistuki) during your studies. This applies to self-motivated studies which have been approved as an employment-promoting service. For example, this could apply to a situation in which you are unemployed and decide to complete an unfinished degree.
Employment services will decide whether you can get general social security benefit during your studies. To qualify, you must be registered as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi) and be at least 25 years old at the start of your studies.
In other cases, you may have the right to student financial aid (opintotuki). You cannot be paid general social security benefit and student financial aid for the same period of time.
If you become a student, tell Kela about it in the next unemployment status report you submit in OmaKela.
Social assistance
If you are a student, apply for a study grant, student loan and housing supplement first. After that, depending on your situation, you may be able to get social assistance.
Use our online calculator to see if you can get social assistance.
Military or non-military service
During military or non-military service, you can receive conscript’s allowance in the form of basic assistance and housing assistance. In certain situations, assistance may also be granted to a conscript’s partner or spouse.
Kela may also pay interest on your student loan if it falls due during your military or non-military service.
Apply for conscript’s allowance
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
OmaKela is only available in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot use OmaKela, use the form Hakemus - Sotilasavustus SA 1 (pdf, in Finnish) to apply for this benefit. Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
You cannot get student financial aid during your military or non-military service. This means that you must remember to notify Kela that you are entering service.
Notify Kela that you are entering military or non-military service
How to notify Kela that you are entering military or non-military service?
OmaKela is only available in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot use OmaKela, notify Kela by completing the form Notification of changes – Financial aid for students OT 15e (pdf). Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
What to do if you do not have enough money for everyday expenses
If you have graduated but do not have a job, you can receive unemployment benefits.
There are two kinds of unemployment benefits: earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) and the general social security benefit (yleistuki). Unemployment benefits are sometimes also called income security for the unemployed. Read more about the unemployment benefits.
Unemployment funds (työttömyyskassa) pay earnings-related unemployment allowance. Visit tyj.fi to check the contact information of your unemployment fund and instructions on how to apply.
If you do not belong to an unemployment fund, apply for the general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela. Kela will check whether you have to complete a qualifying period (odotusaika) of 5 months before you can be paid the benefit. Learn more about the general social security benefit.
If you have a low income after graduation or are unemployed, you may receive interest assistance from Kela. Interest assistance means that Kela pays the interest due on your student loan.
If you are having problems with coping
If you have problems with coping or with your mental health, contact the student healthcare services or your local health centre. Benefits from Kela can help you manage financially while you are ill or in rehabilitation.
If you fall ill and cannot study, you can take a sick leave. During that time, you can get sickness allowance. We will stop paying you student financial aid and the housing supplement automatically if you are granted sickness allowance. You can apply for general housing allowance for the duration of your sick leave.
Apply for sickness allowance
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
Sickness allowance can be paid for about a year, at most. If your illness is prolonged, Kela will offer you rehabilitation options.
When you return to studying full-time, please send a message about this in OmaKela or call our customer service number 020 634 2550. If your financial aid was terminated, you must file a new application.
Kela can pay part of your costs for rehabilitative psychotherapy. In order to receive this benefit from Kela, you must have a medical statement on the need for rehabilitation. In addition, the therapist must be approved by Kela.
If you are under 30 years of age, you can receive vocational rehabilitation for young persons without a medical certificate. The purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to help you plan your future and find your direction in studies and work.
The vocational rehabilitation options are:
- Nuotti coaching
- vocational rehabilitation assessment
- vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work
- a training try-out.
When applying for vocational rehabilitation services for young persons, you need not specify the type of rehabilitation you wish to apply for. Kela will help you find a suitable rehabilitation option. You can get advice in matters concerning rehabilitation by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650.
Social assistance helps you with necessary living expenses if you have a very low income. However, before you apply for social assistance, you must first apply for any other benefits that you may have the right to, such as a study grant and a student loan, housing supplement for students, conscript’s allowance or unemployment benefits.
Use our online calculator to see if you can get social assistance and to estimate the amount of the benefit.
Apply for social assistance
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
If you cannot use OmaKela, use the form Application - Social Assistance TO 1e (pdf) to apply for this benefit. Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.